Hosta plant named ‘Time Tunnel’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Hosta sieboldiana , ‘Time Tunnel’, characterized by its variegated foliage of green centers and wide margins that emerge chartreuse, change to a bright gold, and mature to a creamy gold color. The margins of the foliage of ‘Time Tunnel’ are much wider than its parent plant, ‘Frances Williams’, comprising about 50% of the leaf area.

Botanical classification: Hosta sieboldiana.

Cultivar designation: ‘Time Tunnel’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention Hosta ‘Time Tunnel’, relates to a new and distinctcultivar of Hosta sieboldiana and will hereinafter be referred to as‘Time Tunnel’.

The inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Time Tunnel’ as a whole plantmutation of Hosta sieboldiana ‘Frances Williams’ (unpatented) at hisnursery in Kensington, Conn. in April of 2000. ‘Time Tunnel’ wasdiscovered in a plug tray of ‘Frances Williams’ that originated asrooted transplants produced by micropropagation. ‘Time Tunnel’ wasselected as unique for its variegated leaf pattern of wide goldencolored margins surrounding green centers. ‘Frances Williams’ hasfoliage with a similar variegation pattern, however the margins of ‘TimeTunnel’ are significantly wider.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by invitro propagation in Kensington, Conn. in the spring of 2002. Asexualreproduction of the new cultivar by division and tissue culture hasshown that the unique features of ‘Time Tunnel’ are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Time Tunnel’ as a new and unique cultivar of Hosta.

-   -   1. ‘Time Tunnel’ has variegated foliage with green centers and        wide margins that emerge chartreuse, change to a bright gold,        and mature to a creamy gold color.    -   2. The margins of the foliage of ‘Time Tunnel’ are about twice        the width of the parent plant, ‘Frances Williams’. The wide        margins of ‘Time Tunnel’ comprise about 50% of the leaf area and        are retained throughout the growing season.    -   3. ‘Time Tunnel’ exhibits white flowers in mid summer, similar        to ‘Frances Williams’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs were taken in late summer andillustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of thenew Hosta. The plants in the photographs are three year-old plants of‘Time Tunnel’ as grown outdoors in Kensington, Conn. in medium shade.

FIG. 1 provides an overall view of new cultivar.

FIG. 2 is of a close-up view of the foliage of ‘Time Tunnel’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized. The color values cited inthe detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of thenew Hosta.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of 3 year-old plants of the newcultivar as grown outdoors in Kensington, Conn. The phenotype of the newcultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, andcultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withthe 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: ‘Time Tunnel’ is a cultivar of Hosta    sieboldiana.-   Parentage: Naturally occurring whole plant mutation of Hosta    sieboldiana ‘Frances Williams’ (syn. Hosta ‘Frances Williams’).-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—From mid June to mid July.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, clump-forming,            open-mounded foliage of large size.        -   Height and spread.—Foliage reaches up to about 53 cm (22            inches) in height and up to about 91 cm (36 inches) in            width.        -   Hardiness.—Zone 3-8.        -   Culture.—Full shade to part shade in moist, organic rich            soils.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases or pests has been observed for ‘Time Tunnel’. Thick            substance of leaves may confer slug resistance.        -   Root description.—Freely branched, fleshy.        -   Propagation.—In vitro propagation is the preferred method            utilizing typical methods for Hosta, division are also            possible.        -   Root development.—Rooted transplants from tissue culture            fully develop in a 32-cell liner in about 6 to 8 weeks in a            greenhouse with average temperatures of about 70° F.        -   Growth rate.—Moderately vigorous.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Broadly cordate to broadly ovate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Cordate.        -   Leaf apex.—Cuspidate.        -   Leaf venation.—About 16 pairs of veins, camptodrome pattern,            venation is noticeable due to rugose nature of leaves,            sunken on upper surface and protruding on lower surface,            vein color on both surfaces matches leaf color.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire with irregular undulation.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal, radiate spirally from base.        -   Leaf orientation.—Held horizontal to slightly arching            downward to slightly cupped upward on mature, heavily rugose            leaves, petioles held upright at an angle about 80 to 90°.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper and lower: glaucous with lower surface            more glaucous, mature leaves are rugose.        -   Leaf color.—Young leaves (upper surface): centers N138A to            N138B, margins 144A to 144B, intermediate area 139C. Young            leaves (lower surface): centers 189A, margins between 144B            and 139C, intermediate area is not distinct. Maturing leaves            (upper surface): centers 139A and 139B, margins N144A to            N144B, intermediate area 139C. Maturing leaves (lower            surface): centers 138B, margins N144A and 139B, intermediate            area is not distinct. Mature leaves (upper surface): centers            139A and 139B, margins 160A to 160C to 155D, intermediate            area 139C to 139D. Mature leaves (lower surface): centers            138B, margins 160B to 160C to 155D, intermediate area not            distinct.        -   Leaf variegation pattern.—For mature leaves, on average the            margin comprises about 50% of the leaf area. In comparison,            the margin of the parent plant, ‘Frances Williams’,            comprises about 20% of the leaf area.        -   Leaf size.—Up to about 25 cm (10 inches) in length, up to            about 20 cm (8 inches) in width. Measurements on a three            year-old plant, leaf size may become larger after more years            of maturity.        -   Leaf quantity.—Average 5 per shoot (eye).        -   Petiole size.—Average of 12 cm in length, up to about 1.2 cm            in width.        -   Petiole color.—144A on inner surface, 144B on outer surface.        -   Petiole shape.—Sulcate.-   Flower scape description:    -   -   Scape shape.—Round, solid.        -   Scape number.—One per mature eye under normal growing            conditions.        -   Scape posture.—Straight, strong, held upright at about 80 to            90° from horizontal.        -   Scape size.—About 53 to 60 cm in length, about 5 mm in width            and tapering to 1 mm at apex.        -   Scape color.—144A.        -   Scape surface.—Glaucous.        -   Leaf bracts.—1 per scape, 144B in color, ovate in shape,            average of 5 cm in length and 3.5 cm in width.        -   Flower bracts.—1 per flower, broadly elliptic, 85D in color,            about 2 cm in length and about 1.25 cm in width.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal racemes on elongated flower            scapes.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About 3 to 4 weeks from first            opening bloom to fading of last opening bloom, individual            blooms last about one week.        -   Flower shape.—Bell-shaped (campanulate-tubular).        -   Flower arrangement.—Alternate on raceme.        -   Flower fragrance.—Slight sweet fragrance.        -   Flower number.—About 28 per scape.        -   Flower bud shape.—Obovate.        -   Flower bud size.—Up to about 3.5 cm in length and about 1.2            cm in width.        -   Flower bud color.—85D.        -   Flower size.—Fully open: About 4.7 cm in length and up to            about 2.7 cm in width.        -   Flower color.—N155B, effective color is white with a slight            blush of lavender.        -   Flower aspect.—Outward and slightly pendulous.        -   Pedicels.—About 2 mm in diameter, 1.7 cm in length, 138B in            color, texture is glabrous.        -   Perianth features.—Comprised of 6 Tepals, 3 interior and 3            exterior, overlapping in expanded region and fused in tube            region.        -   Tepal characteristics.—Effectively white in color N155A            suffused in lavender 85D on center of each tepal (upper and            lower surfaces), about 4.6 cm in length, about 1.2 cm in            width, acute apex, entire margins, glabrous texture.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, style; about 4.7 mm in length width and            1 mm in diameter, 155C in color, stigma; 1-lobed and 155C in            color, ovary; compound, 5 mm in height, 4 mm in diameter,            composed of 3 locules.        -   Androecium.—6 stamens, 1 mm in width, 3.5 cm in length,            filaments; 155C in color, anthers; oblong in shape, 4 mm in            length, 5 mm in width, attachment is dorsifixed, 86C in            color, pollen; low in abundance, 21A in color.        -   Seed.—Capsule; 2.7 cm in length, 7 mm in diameter, 138B in            color, texture is glabrous seed; flattened oval in shape, 8            mm in length, 4 mm in width, average of 12 per capsule, 202A            in color.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hosta plant named ‘Time Tunnel’ asherein illustrated and described.